Emma Raducanu gets ever closer to Roland Garros main draw after latest withdrawal

Emma Raducanu faces a nervous few days with the Brit only a few spots away from making it to the main draw of the 2024 French Open without having to play Roland Garros qualifying. She has been slightly boosted by Julia Grabher now withdrawing.

Grabher withdrawing means that Renata Zarazua will take her spot with Sara Errani next up in the queue so to speak followed by Arina Rodionova. Raducanu is now three spots away from the main draw and with doubts over certain players will see herself as likely to play.

Albeit she may still have to enter qualifying which she hasn't indicated either way yet whether she will play after withdrawing from Strasbourg. The indicator will be if she is still in the field this weekend. Jessica Pegula and Karolina Pliskova are the current main doubts for the draw.

The American in particular has not played since Charleston and after withdrawing from Strasbourg seems more likely to go straight onto the grass. But of course without a further withdrawal, this won't help her too much. Pliskova as well as Tamara Korpatsch, Marie Bouzkova among others are doubts. As is Ana Bogdan who retired injured at the WTA 125k in Paris. Jodie Burrage who is recovering from surgery and Alison van Uytvanck are also two players who could feasibly find their way withdrawing.

With a tough qualifying field including Olga Danilovic, Kaja Juvan, Leolia Jeanjean among others, Raducanu certainly won't have it easy if she goes that route. Albeit she has shown at times in particular during Stuttgart and Billie Jean King Cup that she has the game on clay to win games. It is more of a consistency element and finding her way through a lesser known field that could be the issue. But with qualifying incoming, her fate in terms of playing will likely be set in the coming days.

Raducanu has not played since Madrid where she suffered a damning loss to Maria Lourdes Carle. She didn't play qualifying for the Rome Open withdrawing and has since entered Strasbourg but withdrawn. As well as French Open qualifying. She is yet to go near any lower level tournaments compared to others like Halep and even Emma Navarro who are playing this week in Paris.